The union representing striking bus supervisors in Metro Vancouver has scheduled a meeting to determine if members can picket outside SkyTrain stations.
Transit supervisors were not allowed to strike outside the stations, resulting in uninterrupted service.
Glacier Media has confirmed that the BC Labour Relations Board will meet with CUPE Local 4500 on Monday, Jan. 29.
A TransLink spokesperson says the meeting is expected to take multiple days before a decision could be made. If the Labour Relations Board files in favour of CUPE 4500, then they would have the right to picket at SkyTrain locations
It is unclear at this point which of Metro Vancouver’s three SkyTrain lines would be affected, as the Expo and Millennium Lines are operated by British Columbia Rapid Transit Company Ltd. and the Canada Line by ProTrans BC on behalf of TransLink; the scope and location of the picketing is up to the union to determine and the BCLRB to approve.
The union applied to the board for expanded job action, which could include expanding its picket lines to the SkyTrain and cause disruptions to the service.
The SkyTrain union (CUPE 7000) previously said in a statement to members that if the complaint is upheld, picket lines would spread to SkyTrain sites and this would halt the rail service.
A spokesperson for TransLink said that during the 48-hour strike action, CUPE Local 4500 can only legally picket bus and SeaBus.
Strike action took place at 3 a.m. on Jan. 22, cancelling all bus routes in Metro Vancouver and halting service until Wednesday, Jan. 24. West Vancouver Transit’s Blue Bus routes, which are staffed by members of a separate union, remain in operation, providing some mobility on the North Shore. There are also community shuttles running in Langley and on Bowen Island.
As of Monday morning, CUPE Local 4500 members have picket lines up at CMBC Transit Centres in Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam, and the SeaBus North Vancouver Terminal.
Union spokesperson Liam O’Neill hinted supervisors would return to work on Wednesday but if a deal is not reached they will do an "escalation."
